DEUTSCHE AM APPOINTS NEW APAC HEAD

Deutsche Asset Management has appointed a new head of Asia Pacific from Morgan Stanley Investment Management.

Effective November, Alex Prout will be tasked with developing and growing Deutsche AM’s business in the region, with a particular focus on the firm’s exchange-traded fund and real estate sectors, a spokeswoman said.

Prout will be based in Hong Kong and report to head of Deutsche AM Nicolas Moreau and head of coverage for Thorsten Michalik, who oversees Europe, Middle East and Africa, and also Asia Pacific. Prout takes over from interim head of Asia Pacific John Eilbeck, who is chief operating officer (COO) for Deutsche AM.

Most recently, Prout was COO for global sales and distribution for Morgan Stanley IM, but he departed a few months ago. He has also worked for Invesco Asset Management and Merrill Lynch Investment Managers in Asia.

Morgan Stanley IM declined to comment on Prout’s replacement.

ROCKSPRING HIRES NORTH-EAST ASIA CHIEF FROM KIC

Rockspring Property Investment Managers has poached a new head for Northeast Asia from sovereign wealth fund Korea Investment Corporation (KIC).

Effective September 7 and based in Seoul, Suengtak Lee is the de facto head of the Seoul office as well as Northeast Asia. He leads Rockspring’s equity raising in South Korea, Japan and China and reports to Kathryn Dixon, global head of investor relations.

He replaces Julianne Cho, said a spokeswoman. Cho left Rockspring in July to take a career break, according to her Linkedin profile.

Lee was previously deputy director at KIC, where he led various direct and indirect real estate investment mandates globally. He left the sovereign wealth fund on September 6, said a spokeswoman for Rockspring. 

NORTHERN TRUST AM NAMES NEW HEAD FOR JAPAN

Northern Trust Asset Management has hired a new head for Japan, following the retirement of its previous one.

Effective October 2, Keishi Yamamoto has joined Northern Trust AM as Tokyo-based president and representative director. He reports to Hong Kong-based John McCareins, managing director, Asia-Pacific.

Yamamoto replaces Hidehiro Nakayama, who will retire later this year, according to a company spokesman.

He was previously the business development manager in the Tokyo office of Wellington Management, a position that he left in August, a spokeswoman for Wellington said.

JP MORGAN HIRES CLIENT ADVISOR IN SINGAPORE

Jacqueline Yeh joined JP Morgan Asset Management in September as a client adviser focusing on Singapore sovereign and institutional clients.

She reports to Steven Billiet, chief executive officer for Singapore. A company spokeswoman declined to comment who Yeh is replacing.

Yeh was previously with Amundi as associate director for institutional sales, accordin to her LinkedIn profile.

A spokeswoman for Amundi declined to comment.

APREA ELECTS NEW CHAIRMAN

The Asia Pacific Real Estate Association (Aprea) has elected a new chairman to take the reigns after its current one finishes his second three-year term.

Effective September 29, John Lim, chief executive officer and director of ARA Asset Management, has become the chairman of Aprea, a non-profit industry association that represents and promotes the real estate asset class in the Asia Pacific region.

John Lim will replace Lim Swe Guan, who is stepping down after serving two three-year terms.  

HERMES NAMES NEW SENIOR ECONOMIST

Hermes Investment Management has hired a new senior economist.

Effective October 2, Silvia Dall'Angelo will become London-based senior economist for providing macroeconomic analysis and commentary and developing relationships with key central banks and monetary authorities. She reports to Eoin Murray, head of investment, who is also based in London.

Dall'Angelo’s role is a newly created one, and will be complemented by Neil Williams, who is currently working as group chief economist but will soon shift to become a senior economic advisor to the fund manager, based in New Zealand.

Dall'Angelo was previously an economist at Prologue Capital, according to her Linkedin profile. The Connecticut-based hedge fund closed down in March this year due to poor performance.

SIMMONS & SIMMONS PROMOTES NEW BEIJING PARTNER

International law firm Simmons & Simmons has promoted Melody Yang to partner in Beijing, effective October 1.

Yang will continue to focus on advisory and regulatory work in the asset management and investment funds sector, and is also tasked with growing the firm’s China asset management team, and increasing its presence among international and Chinese asset managers in the region, a company spokeswoman said.

Her clients include international asset managers, Chinese institutional investors, and Chinese fund houses.

She will report to Asia head of corporate Ian Wood, the spokeswoman said.

Yang’s most recent role was Of Counsel in the Simmons & Simmons Beijing office. The China, New York State, and England and Wales qualified lawyer was also managing associate with Simmons & Simmons, as well as associate with multinational law firm King & Wood Mallesons, according to her LinkedIn.

BNY MELLON CREATES SENIOR DEPOSITARY RECEIPTS MANAGEMENT ROLE

US investments company BNY Mellon has hired a depositary receipts executive from Deutsche Bank.

As of September, Veronica Sheung became head of relationship management for depositary receipts, Asia Pacific. She is responsible for building relationships with BNY Mellon’s regional clients. This is a newly created role, according to a company spokeswoman.

Sheung will be based in Hong Kong, and will report to Frank Giglio, BNY Mellon’s head of Asia Pacific depositary receipts.

She was most recently director and head of client management for depositary receipts in Asia Pacific at Deutsche Bank. Sheung has worked a variety of roles at Deutsche, including vice president (VP) and head of issuer management for depositary receipts in Asia Pacific, VP of global equity services in north Asia, and assistant VP of global equity services in north Asia, according to her LinkedIn.

Deutsche Bank declined to comment on Sheung's replacement.

LEONTEQ NAMES NEW INTERIM CEO, CHANGES TO BOARD

Swiss investment solutions technology firm Leonteq has appointed deputy CEO and current chief financial officer (CFO) Mark Amato as interim chief executive.

Effective October 5, Amato will take over as chief executive on an interim basis, while retaining his CFO role. Meanwhile the company's nomination and remuneration committee has initiated the search for a permanent chief executive.

Former chief executive and founding partner Jan Schoch has moved to become a senior advisor for strategic growth strategies, a newly created role, the company said.

Thomas Meier, former Julius Baer chief executive in Asia, was also nominated as an independent member of the board of directors. Currently the chairman of non-profit the Julius Baer Foundation, Meier was also the head of private wealth management at Deutsche Bank in Luxembourg, and was the Hong Kong-based chief executive of north Asia at Credit Suisse, according to his LinkedIn.

Christopher Chambers, currently senior advisor to private equity firm Lone Star Europe, has been nominated for the position of board chairman, and Paulo Brügger, currently head of the central bank department at Swiss cooperative bank Raiffeisen, was also nominated as a new member.

The board nominations will be proposed for election at an extraordinary general meeting to be held on November 22.